For those not familiar CMMS or Computerized Maintenance Management System it is a software that runs on servers that allows you to maintain a database of information about your organizations maintenance operations. The software can track things such as when was the last time routine maintenance was performed on a system to how many spare parts your organization may have lying around in the warehouse. A CMMS is typically implemented one of two ways. There is what is called a desktop or network implementation and the web-based implementation. We will briefly mention both styles of implementations and then spend a little time providing the pros to why the web based implementation may be a better choice than a desktop based implementation.

The desktop or network implementation of CMMS software refers to the approach that the servers that the software runs on are local, or is under the ownership and maintenance of your organization. Typically these servers will be housed at your organizations corporate headquarters and will be under the umbrella of support by your organizations IT department. A major disadvantage to a desktop or network approach is the high start up costs that are required to implement this design. The high start up costs are due to the fact that your organization is responsible to purchase the server hardware required to handle the CMMS software. Another disadvantage to a desktop approach is that you can typically only access the CMMS software when you are on your organizations intranet, or local network. You cannot access the CMMS from the internet.

The second approach is called the web-based implementation of CMMS or CMMS hosting. The typical way a web-based approach works is exactly that, web-based. This means that your organization pays a 3rd party that owns that hardware and the servers that the CMMS software is running on. A great advantage to the web-based CMMS approach is that you can access your database from virtually anywhere in the world! All you need, assuming you have the correct logon credentials, is an internet connection. Another great advantage to a web-based CMMS is that your organization is not responsible for the maintenance and support of the hardware servers that the CMMS servers run on. When a server has a hardware failure, and the server will eventually fail, your organization does not have to worry about the costs of purchasing new hardware, and paying the IT group to fix the issue. You pay to have web access and leave the support to someone else.

Stuart Smith writes about Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Computerized Maintenance Management Software (CMMS) Solutions for Mintek Mobile Data Solutions. Learn more about EAM/CMMS features that can help your business navigate through tough economic times.

Data gathered by companies from its energy systems will be used to analyze energy efficiency to help decision makers take action on improving its energy facilities and procedures. With the Climate Registry pressuring companies to reduce energy use, carbon emissions will be reduced to eventually help reduce global warming potential (GWP).

Facilities, companies, municipalities and organizations across North America, its’ states, provinces, territories and native sovereign nations, participate in a voluntary agreement. The Climate Registry works towards a common goal to identify, track and record greenhouse gas emissions. This is an ongoing effort to help in the reduction of global warming.

Emissions reporting is an important element included in the Climate Registry. The standardized procedure calls for companies to identify harmful emissions and to establish methods to manage them. Current and future greenhouse gas emissions can be managed, with the goal of reducing the company’s carbon footprint.

Within an electrical distribution grid, energy asset management covers all sources — distributed generation of energy, energy storage devices and renewable energy sources. As constant, real-time monitoring of indirect and direct sources is required, asset management software is indicated as these programs can best handle multiple sources and locations around the world.

In addition to tracking real-time energy use, greenhouse gas emissions from specific energy related assets can be tracked by efficient energy asset management. Included with this are HVAC systems, refrigeration, lighting, vehicle and transport, among many other types of equipment. Energy reduction efforts can be tracked in this way.

Protocols are provided by the Climate Registry to assist in energy asset management programs. These guidelines include an in-depth analysis of asset specific attributes linked to energy use. For a more accurate measure of harmful emission sources and energy sources, automated programs are highly recommended. The software programs can provide a greater oversight, and an hourly record of asset energy consumption.

Short and long-term objectives are defined through energy asset management with regards to energy consumption. Opportunistic areas are revealed and a plan of action can be put in place. Considering that energy is one of the top three largest operational expenses of any enterprise, any company’s goal would be to reduce energy risk and improve performance in its operations. Energy risk factors associated with design and operation can be identified as part of a comprehensive plan to manage all energy sources.

Elements which create practical opportunities for companies can be combined with any asset management program which can help monitor and save on energy use. Several things are achieved, including energy reduction, cost control and for all environmental health.

The Sustainability Resource Planning (SRP) platform delivers a broad range of enterprise solutions to over 40 global clients with a service network of over 7,500 consultants consisting of 65,000 application users. Verisae’s software manages, and monetizes energy costs and carbon emissions while providing a rapid ROI. Learn more at http://www.verisae.com/articles.

Do we need computerized maintenance management software (commonly known as CMMS)? It’s the question on the lips of many business managers seeking to improve the bottom line via improved tracking of business expenses and functions. Out on the proverbial shop floor, the question might be more along the lines of “what is CMMS anyway?”

But the question everyone should be asking is “Why haven’t we found a CMMS vendor yet?”

With CMMS, you can manage the schedule for everything from basic maintenance of equipment to calibrating of instruments, gauges and other delicate equipment.

The fine-tuning reaches beyond maintenance of equipment and into the business aspect of maintenance management: employee shift schedules, cost analysis, supply inventory and more. It even allows management to analyze overall maintenance performance.

All types of organizations will benefit from CMMS. It provides the ability to track tasks of all types. It organizes not only scheduled maintenance tasks, but also un-scheduled maintenance management tasks (those unexpected yet necessary repairs). It also and it creates documentation for both types of maintenance.

And we’re not just talking about software to use at the computer. Most CMMS is available as SaaS (Software As A Service). This online capability is also known as cloud computing. That means less of a need for hands-on IT work plus fewer equipment expenses. Wireless capabilities allows employees and managers can access the software from wherever they might be and with the PDA or smart phone device that is handiest.

Most CMMS vendors provide multiple versions of the software that allow each business to pick the plan that will fit most closely with the business needs. And as your needs change, you can typically add on new modules to fit the new demand.

CMMS offers more than ‘just’ the ability to track maintenance of equipment. The benefits are not solely in maintenance-CMMS can also track your business’ research, environmental, safety, regulatory compliance and quality. Now…what was that question again? That’s right. Why haven’t we found a CMMS vendor yet?

Ashcom Technologies provides knowledge-based business solutions to clients through a multitude of strategies and tools. In the process, clients receive a sustainable competitive advantage through the implementation of proactive strategies & technologies. CMMS plays a large role in this process.

The MicroMain Blog is proud to present another edition of our guest blogger series. We’re reaching out to third party industry experts for their take on maintenance management and how it can complement a quality CMMS system. In this guest blog, Ashley Halligan, a software analyst at Software Advice, met with three industry experts to compose a layperson’s guide to Facility Asset Management software.

The range of software solutions within the maintenance and facility management sectors can be overwhelming. These systems, which have some overlapping functionality, have left some buyers understandably confused.

To help clarify the difference between the types of systems, I interviewed three industry experts: Joseph Valeri, President and COO of Lucernex Technologies; Chris Kluis, Mintek’s Marketing Director; and Andy Fuhrman, VP of Product Development at Bricsnet.

Needless to say, these guys are experts. I, on the other hand–not so much. While all of our experts provided great insight, they also encouraged me to simplify that knowledge, and boil it down so the average person could also understand.

First and foremost, the primary difference between the software systems is their depth of functionality–that is, the number of features they offer and challenges they solve.

So, here are the most common software solutions in the maintenance and facility management markets, and the business challenges they address.

All of our experts agree that current CAFM software is primarily used as space planning tools–with the goal of optimizing the usage of space, while keeping track of physical assets.

Companies have a lot of space, particularly those with several floors or multiple locations. They also have lots of assets–like desks, chairs, computers, and telephones.

CAFM systems keep companies organized by keeping track of how space is being used, who’s using that space, and where the organization’s belongings are currently located. Essentially, these solutions form a relationship between a business’s space, its people, and its stuff.

Because CAFM software has such specialized space planning functions, it’s often used as a building block for the more complex systems discussed below.

Failing to perform routine maintenance tasks on equipment can lead to unnecessary downtime. Furthermore, failing to perform recommended maintenance can lead to unexpected failure–ultimately requiring replacement. Repair is far less costly than an untimely replacement.

To read the rest of Ashley’s article, including her plain english definitions of Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) and Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS), click here. More great industry content can be found in The Software Advice Blog.

When it comes to enterprise asset management there are some things you need to keep in mind when you are trying to figure out whether or not it you would benefit from it. Think about it this way, EAM can make a difference in the success of your company in a way you never thought possible.

For example, to run a factory you need to know what the expenses are that you are going to have to deal with. When you are not sure what your monthly expenses are on running operations, maintenance, and everything else you are not going to make a profit. Even if you do have an understanding of all of that you need to know more details about the expenses if you have any hopes of keeping costs down. Raising prices will cost you customers. Firing employees will hurt production and therefore cost you customers. So the only way to truly cut costs is to make sure you know where you are wasting money and that’s what enterprise asset management can help you to do.

An example of this would be a company that makes and ships soda. There are literally hundreds of machines that handle the creation of the soda, the bottling and the shipping. All these machines need to be maintained by people and those people need to be managed. The idea is that in order to be a successful company you would need to charge enough per soda to make a respectable profit. That means the machines are vital to the company’s success because they contribute or handle all phases of the creation and shipping of the project. So having an understanding of everything from the basic maintenance of a machine to how many people need to be on the floor to make sure everything is running smoothly could be the difference between a struggling company or a profitable company.

In business we tend to think the most important thing is how we market ourselves, but we forget it starts with the quality of work we do in our own factories. That’s where asset management software can give you a serious advantage. It can help you to analyze your company’s production, figure out where you can spend less money and remain productive and where you need to spend more money. Believe it or not there are areas of your business where you can spend more money and it may actually save you money overall. An example of this would be the maintenance of your dozens or even hundreds of machines that are in your factory.

Asset management software can help you to determine if you will keep the machines running longer and better if you put more money into making sure they are routinely maintained. If it cost $500 and a days’ worth of work to maintain a machine each month isn’t that better than the $6,000 and weeks’ worth of work it will take to repair it every six months? That’s the kind of thing we do not consider when trying to figure out how to run a factory but this software can help you with that and give the ability to improve your business from the inside out.